Electric sparking device for explosive-engines.



No. 788,253. PATENTED APR.. 25, 190 5.

- 0.S.DUTTON. ELECTRIC SPARKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION IILI KD JAN. 26, 1904.

Wu-Misses toward the pump-chamber.

UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ELECTRIC SEARKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 788,253, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed January 26, 1904. Serial No. 190,689.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SEYMOURDUT- TON, of Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical central section through a gas-engine, illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a partial end view of the same with the crank-shaft in section, and Fig. 3 a partial plan view. Fig. 4 is a modified form of the means for adjustably clamping the brushholder.

In the practice of my invention 1 provide a cylinder having an upper working chamber 1 and an adjoining pump-chamber 2 of larger diameter, in which cylinder there is fitted a diiferential piston composed of a body 3, which fits the bore of the working chamber 1, and a head 4, which fits the bore of the pumpchamber 2. The piston is coupled by a connecting-rod 5 to the pin 6 of a crank 7, formed on a crank-shaft 8, which rotates in bearing in acrank-case 9, which, with a lower bed plate or base 10, is cast integral with the cylinder.

-An annular reservoir 11 is located around the lower portion of the working chamber 1 of the cylinder, and communication between said reservoir and the pump-chamber 2 is controlled by an inlet-valve 12, which opens inwardly or toward the reservoir. A gassupply nozzle 13, to which a gas-supply pipe is connected, is formed on the side of the pumpchamber, and communication between said nozzle and the pump-chamber is controlled by a delivery-valve 14:, which opens inwardly or A port 15 leads from the reservoir 11 to the working chamber 1 of the cylinder in such position as to be uncovered by the body 3 of the piston at or near the outer end of its stroke, the piston in the instance shown acting as the valve which controls said port.

A circular commutator 16, which is made of insulating material or is insulated from the crank-shaft 8, is secured to said shaft and carries upon its periphery a metallic contactpiece 17, which is electrically connected to the crank-shaft and through the same to the frame of the engine. A brush 18 of electrical conducting material which is supported throughthe intermediation of a plate or block of insulating material 19 on an adjustable brush-holder 2O abuts continuously on the periphery of the commutator 16 and is connected with'any suitable source of electric current. The brush-holder 20 is in the specific instance exemplified in the form of a metal band embracing a circular support on the engine-frame concentric with the shaft, said band being out through on one side and having its extensions or ends 20 and 20 connected by a shifting or actuating rod 21, which in this instance is shown as passing through the extensions or ends 20 and 20 and having a screw-thread 21 at and near its lower end, engaging a nut 20, attached in any suitable manner to the lower side of the extension 20". A collar 21 is attached to the rod in any suitable manner and abuts on the upper extension or end 20 of the brush-holder, said rod 21 being for convenience of operation provided at its upper end with a hand-wheel 22. shifting or actuating rod 21, it will be seen, can

.be operated with one hand to effect the two functions of angularly adjusting the brushholder on its support and clamping it in adjusted position, and it will be obvious that, if preferred, instead of providing the end of the rod 21 with a screw-thread, which engages the fixed nut 2O or the extension or end 20, the nut 2O may be done away with and the lower end of rod 21 be provided, as shown in Fig. 4:,

with a cam 26 or other equivalent means,

whereby the two extensions or ends 20 and 20 may be brought closer together, and thereby causing the cut metal band of the adjustable brush-holder 20 to tightly embrace The its circular support. A metal tube 23 is fitted to slide on the rod 21 into and out of contact with an electrical terminal 24, supported on the brush-holder, but insulated therefrom. An igniting-plug having points 25, connected through an induction-coil or other suitable means with the contact-piece 17 and brush 18, is inserted in the working chamber 1 of the cylinder.

In the operation of the engine the outward or downward stroke of the piston by tending to form a vacuum in the pump-chamber 2 raises the valve 14 and draws gas from the supply-nozzle into said chamber. The inward or upward stroke of the piston raises the valve 12 and forces the gas into the reservoir 11. Near the end of the outward stroke the piston uncovers the port 15 and allows the gas in the reservoir to escape into the working chamber 1 of the cylinder. As all the openings in the working chamber are closed early in the inward stroke, the gas is strongly compressed in said chamber. A t or near the end of the inward stroke the revolution of the crankshaft brings the contact-piece 17 under and in contact with the brush 18, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby establishing an electric current which causes a spark or series of sparks to pass between the points of the ignitingplug, thereby firing the gas and effecting the downward stroke of the piston. When it is desired to vary the time of ignition, the brushholder 20 is loosened slightly by turning the rod 21 (shown either in Fig. 1 or 4) in one direction, when the two extensions or ends 20 and 20of the holder will separate and permit the same to be adjusted angularly on its support, which may be done by movement of the shifting or actuating rod 21 transverse to the axis of shaft, so as to cause the sparks to be made earlier or later in the cycle, as desired,

and may be quickly accomplished by the use of one hand only. The brush-holder is then clamped in the adjusted position by turning the rod 21 in the opposite direction, and thereby bringing the two extensions or ends 20 and 20 together. The electric current may be broken and ignition stopped when desired by sliding the metal tube 23 on the rod 21 out of contact with the terminal 24.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that two or more cylinders may, if desired, be employed in connection with a single crankshaft and that a single reservoir common to all the cylinders may be applied. A single commutator, brush, and switch may in such case be used to regulate the period of ignition in the several cylinders. Mechanically-operated valves of the slide, piston, puppet, or other type may be substituted for the automatically operating valves described and shown without departure from the spirit of my invention, and in lieu of controlling the port which establishes communication between the reservoir and the working chamber of the cylinder by the piston a valve opening toward the working chamber and either automatically or mechanically actuated may, if desired, be employed to control said port.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a gas-engine, the combination of an igniting-plug located in the cylinder of the engine, a terminal in the line of an electric circuit connected with the igniting-plug, ashifting or actuating rod, and a metal piece movable on the shifting or actuating rod into and out of contact with the terminal.

(J. SEYMOUR DUTTON.

i tn esses:

S. H. DALRYMILE, CHAS. K. SEAMAN. 

